


tattoo ink (can mend a broken heart)

by dogsbreath



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst, Episode: s01e23 Ua Hiki Mai Kapalena Pau (Until the End is Near), Episode: s04e19 Ku I Ka Pili Koko (Blood Brothers), Episode: s06e25 O Ke Ali'i Wale No Ka'u Makemake (My Desire is Only for the Chief), Episode: s08e01 A'ole E 'olelo Mai Ana Ke Ahi Ua Ana Ia (Fire Will Never Say That It Has Had Enough), Episode: s10e07 Ka 'i'o (DNA), Hurt Danny “Danno” Williams, Hurt Steve McGarrett, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Oblivious Danny “Danno” Williams, Pining, Slow Burn, Steve loves Danny, Tattoos, danny loves him too steve just doesn’t know it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-01-31 13:11:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21446746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dogsbreath/pseuds/dogsbreath
Summary: or, five times steve kisses dannys tattoos and one time danny kisses steves
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny “Danno” Williams
Comments: 8
Kudos: 186





	tattoo ink (can mend a broken heart)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [waywardprentiss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/waywardprentiss/gifts).

> i hope you like it!!! follow me on twitter @SAMLYMANS and tumblr at chalfoys !!

the first time, believe it or not, was when danny got poisoned. he went in to see him before he went to get grace. danny was out cold, and steve felt a surge of panic at the sight of danny so unmoving. danny was always moving, whether it be his hands going or his shoulder pushing against steves. he'd never been so still in all the time steves known him, not even in those unguarded moments on steves beach, where their face are inches apart and dannys looking at him with the same look he’d seen him give rachel, and steve panics, his hands automatically going out to grab the one that had saved his life so many times already.

he takes a second, before he hesitantly presses his lips to the cross tattoo on danny's thumb. “wake up soon,” he pleads, “i need you, danno.”

he stays in that position for a while, before he gets up, and leave the room, intent on going to get grace from school.

he drops her off, and when he looks from grace to danny, he’s got that look on his face again, the unguarded look of utter devotion that both scares and makes steves knees weak. he grins, and danny grins back.

he comes back that night to see rachel asleep on dannys chest, and danny's grinning at him, smiling wider than steves ever seen him, and his heart breaks just a little inside, because he’s never seen danny that happy, not even with steve himself. steve doesn’t know why he thought he’d ever have a chance, of course danny would want to get back together with rachel. steve can handle that. he just hopes danny stays in hawaii, because steve doesn’t think he can handle him leaving.

* * *

the second time it happens is a year or so later, and steves the one in a hospital bed. dannys out cold with his head on the bed and his hand in steves, so steve pulls it up, and kisses the three dots on the side of his palm, before the drugs in his system knock him out again

* * *

the third time is during the collapse. it’s dusty, and steves got bruises in places he didn’t know could bruise. he’s disoriented, and it takes a second for him to remember what happened. the arms deal, the guy in the chair, the bomb, and danny. he can’t hear danny's breathing, and he finds the strength to push the block of cement off him. “danny!” he calls.

the first thing danny does after he gets his bearings is curse. his side hurts, and he’s pretty sure his ribs are broken, and he can’t hear or see steve. he pulls off his gloves and he rubs his eyes, and when he tries to move, his side screeches in protest so he stops. he has to find steve. “steve?!”

steve finds his way to danny relatively quickly, and the first thing he does is grab his hand. “steve,” danny murmurs, and steve squeezes his hand. “hey, buddy,” he whispers, and danny wheezes, “my left, some things wrong.”

panic rears its head, and steves checking him over. he goes pale at the sight of something impaling danny, and he looks back at danny's face. dannys scared, and steve knows his claustrophobia is kicking in, so he moves back up to his head. “steve,” danny says again, like it’s the only thing he can say, and steve sighs, “something’s got you good, danny. a pipe, and i can remove it—“ he stops himself, because danny's head is tilting back, and his breathing is rapid and he sounds scared when he says steves name this time.

so steve does what he always does when he’s scared for danny. he holds the man's hands in his own gently, and he brings them up to his lips. he presses a kiss to danny's knuckles first, before moving to the two tattoos. when he gets to the cross, he catches danny's eyes. he’s calmer, and looks a little astounded. steve blinks, and then he’s got that look again. the one for gracie. the utter devotion and love and loyalty that knocks steve off his feet, because he’s not quite sure how such big emotions can fit in such a small body. the look is rarely used when dannys looking at steve, so when steve catches it, he tries his best to hold onto it. he doesn’t know if his eyes are betraying him again, like the way they did with cath when she asked about danny, but he finds he can’t really care, as long as danny stays this calm until he’s finished.

they get topside, and kono brings danny over to grace and a blonde. steve stays near chin and cath for a moment, because he’s scared. he said the words, meant them in a way he knows danny didn’t, and cath seems to get all that from his body language, because she’s leading him out towards the ambulance, and she’s not saying anything, only rubbing his back as he undoes his tac vest.

“steve,” danny calls gently as he passed, and his hand goes out and grabs steve, and he looking at steve, and steve lets cath go back to kono, because dannys introducing him to his girlfriend, and steves heart is breaking just a little more. he’d forgotten everything down there, so had danny, and it was a slap in the face to actually meet the woman they were talking about that morning.

he sees gracie next to danny, and he holds out his arm, and she’s running across the few feet of space between them, and hugging him. he lifts her off her feet, kisses her head, and tells her “i’m okay, grace face,” before putting her back on the ground.

he takes steve a few feet away, and they’re talking about it. “you gonna make me say it?” he asks, and steve nods. if he hears, he doesn’t know what he’ll do, but he figures it’s a safer bet than ever wondering if he felt the same even just a little bit.

“i love you too,” he says, and steve nods, and hugs danny, even if he doesn’t love steve the same way steve loves him.

* * *

the fourth time is after danny gives steve his liver. dannys done a lot to keep steve safe, breathing, and fed, but he never thought he’d give up an organ for steve. steve, who gets him shot at, steve who loves him more than he probably should. he doesn’t know if danny knows, doesn’t know if he wants danny to know. they’re home, and danny's staying at steves for the first few weeks. steve wants to ask why, why, why, but he can’t, because he looks at danny, and he forgets everything other than that he wants danny here all the time. in steves space, in his house. wants gracie and charlie being dropped off at weekends. he wants it all.

danny falls asleep on the couch, and steve pulls a blanket over him, and takes a few seconds to look at him, before he grabs danny's hand, and presses his lips to his thumb tattoo.

“why?” he asks, knowing he won’t get an answer, “why do you keep doing these things, why do you keep messing with my heart?” he asks quietly. danny doesn’t answer, so steve puts his hand back, and he gets up and turns off the lights, going upstairs to try and sleep

* * *

the fifth time is during the forest fire. dannys scared, so steve grabs his hand, and he does what he does to comfort himself when danny's unconscious. he kisses his tattoos, and dannys looking at him, and steves staring back, and he’s bursting with things he hasn’t said, things he wants to say, and danny squeezes steves hands, before steve drops them completely.

they don’t talk about it for a long time

* * *

the first time danny kisses steves tattoos is after doris dies. they’re sharing the bed, and steves facing away from him, but danny can’t let him be so alone after something like that. he’d helped steve shave, so he had some resemblance to the man he’d fallen in love with all those years ago.

he wraps his arms around steve and when he’s on his back, danny noses his arm, “steve,” he whispers

and steve lets out a choppy breath, so danny kisses his tattoo. “i’m here, i’m right here,” he promises. steve turns his head, and they’re staring again, but this time, steve doesn’t have the energy to keep up his walls, so danny sees everything. what steve wants to say, what he wants to do, and steve finally says it out loud. “I love you.”

and danny moves so he’s sitting on top of him, and he reaches up and kisses steve. “why didn’t you say anything?” he asks, and steve shuts his eyes, “was scared,” he murmurs, and danny hums, “i love you too, i was yours a long time ago.” and steve nods, his hand curling around dannys as he lies back down. steve's lips press to his tattoo, and danny squeezes his hand, moving so that his mouth was near steves. he stared at him, lovingly and gently pressing his lips to the ink on steves bicep.


End file.
